Family-Friendly Condo Rentals in Singapore

Do you know what to look for, in order to find the perfect condo for your family? In this post we’ll show you how.

What’s “family-friendly” mean?

By family-friendly accommodation we focus on condos best-suited for families, because most Singapore condos are “fine” for a family to live. Keep in mind that what may be considered family-friendly for a someone with infants may not be as friendly for a family with teenagers. For example, teenagers may prefer a condo that offers basketball courts, nearby parks, and cinema complexes for them to hang out with friends. Compare this to a family with an infant, who will require an environment that is stroller friendly and relatively quiet.

“Family-friendly” evaluations can be split into the following:

Condo complex - What facilities are offered? Condos that have children’s pools and playgrounds not only help children make new friends, but parents too.

The apartment itself - Check out the layout of the apartment and space based on your criteria. Keep in mind that apartments in the same condo complex can vary greatly.

The residents – Are the people nice and friendly? Are the common areas busy or regular activities organised within the condo complex? Sometimes some condos just develop a great “family vibe” over time and that attracts even more. If possible, check out the condo in late afternoon and see if lots of families are by the pool.

This article will do its best to capture all three concepts and enlighten you on what to look for when finding family-friendly accommodation in Singapore.

How to pick the right condo complex

When searching for the right family condo, here are some things you should consider during your search.

Distance to international schools

The closer a condo is to international schools, the higher probability of finding family-friendly accommodation with similar families. Expat families naturally tend to prioritise accommodation near their child’s school, and a list of international schools with links to nearby condos can be found at our schools page. Additionally, each condo page on this site always lists the nearest International schools with links to each so you can find out more about them.

How many 3+ bedroom apartments does it have?

Having a high percentage of 3+ bedrooms apartments within a condo is a good indicator that mostly families reside there. You can quickly get an indication of the mix of apartments each condo has by looking at the Bedrooms Donut like this one from Aspen Heights:

Importantly, most condos that provide larger apartments were built with families in mind, and will usually include family-friendly facilities such as a kids pool, playground, basketball courts and some even offer child care and baby-sitting options.

Is the area stroller friendly?

So you’ve found a great condo for you and your family, but is it stroller friendly? Are you able to walk to nearby malls or coffee shops with a stroller, or even around your condo? Check to see if ramps are provided to get into certain apartments or to access common areas if you’re coming here with an infant or planning to start a family.

Is the area quiet?

Visit the condo at different times of day if possible, to monitor the noise levels. Is it quite enough for your child to have a nap? For parents with teenagers, a 24-hour security guard can give you piece of mind when your children play around the condo complex. Check to see if there is any construction work nearby, work on construction sites is done 6 days a week up until the late evenings - not the best place to live with an infant.

Does the area have a community feel?

Walk around the area and see what type of vibe you feel, ask questions to locals and expats to gauge how responsive they are and if they are willing to help. Are there community centres or clubs for children to join in at the weekends or family oriented parks or events? This can help you determine the community feel for an area.

Is the condo and surrounding area friendly for children?

Your new condo in Singapore might be nothing like your residence back home, with the lack of open space often being the biggest disparity. A condo that has something to keep the children busy such as a swimming pool, tennis courts, or even a park nearby is important. Having fun things to keep them occupied, along with giving them the opportunity to make friends much easier, can help them adjust and settle in faster.

Tip: For any condo you’re interested in, be sure to check out our custom Neighbourhood maps, carefully curated by the Key Location team. Apart from showing you the nearest convenience facilities such as grocery and pharmacy stores, it also lists all Parks within walking distance. Here’s an example from the Aspen Heights Map:

How to pick the right apartment

You know now what to look for when it comes to finding a family-friendly condo complex in Singapore, but what about the apartment itself? There are no guidelines for how big an apartment should be based on the number of people in your family, it’s purely down to personal preference and your budget. Families with infants will usually prefer to have rooms next to each other as it makes hearing the child cry and looking after them in the middle of the night much easier. However, families with teenagers would normally prefer bedrooms spaced away from one another. Bear in mind that not all apartments come with a bath tub, which is something of high value for families with young children.

Privacy is another factor that families should take into account, if the apartment includes a balcony, can your next door neighbour peep across and see? Are any of the rooms facing directly into another condo building where someone can look directly into your apartment?

If the children are going to school and the parents working, apartments with at least two bathrooms are ideal during the morning rush.

Does it have a family atmosphere?

Moving to a new country can be hard on the whole family, everyone has to find new friends and adjust to the new culture, living somewhere that has a tremendous family atmosphere can go along way to help everyone settle in. For sure there are many brilliant family condos where everybody knows each other, children have plenty of friends and it feels like a home away from home for expats.

Family Condos in Singapore

We recommend you look and ask around, but to get you started we present here some condos that are well-recognised for having a great family atmosphere in Singapore.

The Hacienda (East Coast) – A short walk to the East Coast Park, with great lawn and playground spaces for children to play during the day, the perfect place for expat families wanting to live in the East Coast.

Amaranda Gardens (Serangoon) – Close to several international schools, less than 500 meters from the Lorong Chuan MRT, and known for its great family atmosphere.

Watten Hill (Watten Estate) – The complex has two awesome playgrounds, less than 15 minutes walk from the Botanic Garden MRT, and a plethora of shops and restaurants very close by. Apartments filled with mostly families.

Caribbean (Keppel Bay) – With five schools nearby, a children’s playground, basketball count, wading pool and less than 1km away from Harbourfront Centre, the Caribbean is another condo comes with a great family vibe and community feel. Also check out Reflections at Keppel Bay next door.

Tanglin Park (Tanglin) – Tanglin Park is one of those condos which has a family “vibe”. Some say it’s because it has some of the biggest and best balconies in Singapore and social expats are attracted to that. The pool is hyper social and playground very friendly for young children and parents.

Draycott 8 (Orchard) – Is the perfect condo to make friends within a matter of minutes. The condo includes many communal social areas for adults, including a clubhouse, billiard room, and a wine and cigar terrace, with children’s pools and tennis courts for the kids.

This list is by no means a ranking guide for the best family-friendly condos in Singapore, but just a few (of many) great condos that provide a good family atmosphere.

Find your ideal Singapore Condo

When hunting for family-friendly condos in Singapore, it’s important to find something that matches everyone’s needs. Hopefully this article prompts you not to forget anything. And let us know in the comments below if you think there’s anything important we missed out!

To start your search for family-friendly condos now, use our very own Condo Wizard where you can search from nearly two thousand condos to find the ones that suit you best.

Still deciding on a condo?

The Condo Wizard allows you to enter detailed requirements, such as maximum commute time from your office, and any facilities you require (such as gym, or a children's playground).
You'll be shown only the best matches from Singapore's 1800+ private apartment buildings, and sorted from Best Matches to worst.